Jarrod Barkley and the Assistant Lawyer
by Vol lady
Summary: When Jarrod decides to defend Alan Kyles on a murder charge, the family decides he needs an assistant he can talk to and get help with Alan's defense. Surprisingly, it's Heath who volunteers.
1. Chapter 1

Jarrod Barkley and the Assistant Lawyer

Chapter 1

"You know I hate to ask you to do this," the sheriff said.

Leaning back against the piano, Jarrod looked up at Sheriff Madden with a ton of "I don't want to" in his eyes, but his old friend had a ton of "please" in his eyes.

"No one in town will do the job," the sheriff said. "And no one from any of the other towns around here will either."

Jarrod sighed. He had been a big promoter of the idea of developing a group of attorneys who would defend those who otherwise couldn't get representation, either because they did not have the money or their cause was too reprehensible. But this –

"You know what it did to my family the last time I defended a Kyles," Jarrod said.

"Your family's not involved in this in any way," Fred Madden said. "None of your family is a witness or is affected in any way."

"It doesn't matter. If I defend a Kyles, all those ugly memories will come back on us." _And I'll feel like a pariah around my family and the town again_ , Jarrod thought but did not say.

"That's why it's so tough for me to ask you," Sheriff Madden said. "I remember what defending Korby did to you, but it won't be that way this time. Alan stabbed Jubal Trace in a bar fight. There were witnesses who had nothing to do with your family. At least talk to him, Jarrod."

"What does Alan say happened?"

The sheriff sighed. "He says he's being framed, that somebody else did the killing, but I have two witnesses who say it was him."

"Was it his knife?"

"He says no. The witnesses say yes."

Jarrod heaved a big sigh. He considered talking to Alan Kyles without telling his family about it, but they would probably hear about it and be angry with him for keeping it secret. Maybe the thing to do was to tell them about it before he went to see Kyles. If they had big objections, he could refuse with a clean conscience. "Let me talk to the family about it," he said. "I'll do that this evening, and I'll talk to you tomorrow."

The sheriff nodded his thanks and left. As he went out the front door, Victoria came down from upstairs, a bit concerned because he hadn't said anything to her while he was here, and because Jarrod was in the living room leaning back against the piano and looking unhappy. Victoria went into the living room.

"What was Fred here about?" she asked.

"Problem in town," Jarrod said, his arms folded across his chest now. "I'll talk to everyone about it before dinner."

She eyed him. "You sure it can wait that long?"

Jarrod stood up straight, smiled a bit, put his hands on her arms and drew her in for a kiss on the forehead. "It can wait. I have to chew on it for a while anyway. I'm going to take a ride, air out my brain. I'll be back before dinner."

He headed for the front door, grabbing his hat from the table in the foyer before he went out. Victoria gave a sigh and went off to the kitchen. Jarrod would talk about things when he was ready to and not before. For now, she had other things to attend to.

XXXXXXXX

Riding for a while and ruminating on Fred Madden's request did help Jarrod get his thoughts in order, but he didn't particularly like where they were going. He found himself deciding he'd have to talk to Alan Kyles, and then he'd probably have to defend him. If no one else would take the case, he'd have to do it whether he believed Alan or not. The man was accused of murder, and he was entitled to a defense and to having his story heard, whether his lawyer believed him or not. It was always better if the lawyer believed him, but this wouldn't be the first time Jarrod didn't believe in his client.

What was it he had said to his family when he decided to defend Korby Kyles – what chance does a man have when his own lawyer doesn't believe in him? Well, it sounded noble at the time.

He rode for a long time and came back to the house even after Nick and Heath were in from the range. Everyone had already cleaned and dressed for dinner, and they were gathered in the living room for conversation. Jarrod tossed his hat back on the table in the foyer, saying, "Sorry I'm late. I'll clean up and be right down."

His family members all looked at each other. Victoria had already told them about the sheriff being there earlier in the day. Heath gave words to everyone's thoughts. "Well, whatever it is, he sure isn't happy about it."

"He hasn't looked that unhappy since he was asked to defend Korby Kyles," Audra said.

Which made everyone even more suspicious.

Jarrod was back down, cleaned up and changed, within fifteen minutes. He headed straight for the refreshment table and poured himself some scotch.

"So what was the sheriff here about today?" Nick asked.

Straight to the business at hand – that was Nick. Jarrod turned around and said, "He's arrested Alan Kyles for murder. He asked me to defend him."

"You're kidding!" Nick said.

"Wish I was," Jarrod said, staring at his drink.

"You gonna do it?" Heath asked.

Jarrod looked up at him. "I may have to. Nobody else will. Anybody know why I shouldn't?"

"You gotta ask that?" Nick said. "How many times do we have to tell you the Kyles family is nothing but trouble before you get the message?"

"What I'm asking is if anyone has any interest in the charge against Alan," Jarrod said. "Does anybody know anything or has anybody heard anything about him killing a man in a bar fight Saturday night?"

"This is the first I've heard of it," Heath said, quick and happy to take himself out of the controversy this time.

"Me, too," Nick said. "But that's not the point, is it?"

"What is the point, Nick?" Jarrod asked. "Tell me what it is you see as a problem."

"Come on!" Nick blurted. "You go defending Alan Kyles and you know it's Korby Kyles all over again."

"Not exactly, Nick," Heath said. "I've got nothing to do with it this time. None of us does."

"You gonna tell me you're all right with reliving those memories again?"

"Enough," Victoria said. "Nobody's going to be happy to relive those memories again, but that doesn't help Jarrod resolve his dilemma."

"Just who did he kill?" Nick asked.

"He's _accused_ of killing a man named Jubal Trace," Jarrod said. "Man seems to have come here from San Francisco on several occasions over the past year but has no family here. No one knows why he was here."

"Whatever it was, I'll bet it was no good," Nick said.

"Possibly true," Jarrod said. "That's one thing I'll have to talk to Alan about."

"You've already made up your mind," Victoria said.

"To talk to him, yes," Jarrod said. "Not necessarily to represent him."

"Jarrod," Heath said, "seems to me what you have to think about this time around is the same thing you had to think about with Korby – does the man need representation? We're not involved this time, and that ought to make your decision easier."

"How do you feel about reliving those memories, Heath?" Jarrod asked.

"You got hurt a lot worse than I did in Korby's case," Heath said. "I got no problem remembering that time. Yeah, they beat me up, even Alan made threats against -". He stopped.

"Against me," Audra finished it for him.

Heath nodded. "And you skewered me good on the stand, but when I think back on it, I'm glad you did. I'd never want to send a man to prison if I wasn't a hundred percent sure of what I was saying, and I wasn't. Wish you'd skewered me in private instead of in public, but I understand. No, Jarrod, I got no problem with remembering that time. You defend Alan if you think you have to."

"Thanks, Heath," Jarrod said sincerely, but Nick was turning away. Jarrod looked at him. "I take it you don't necessarily agree, Nick."

Nick turned back around again. "I guess I'm not so easy to forgive, Jarrod."

"Forgive who? Me?"

"Yeah, you, but mainly the Kyleses and what _they_ did to Heath. Alan helped beat him up good, remember?"

"I remember," Heath broke in, "but that doesn't have anything to do with what Jarrod has to consider now. I say we put all that away for good, start fresh, let Jarrod know we have his back no matter what he decides."

What Heath was saying touched Jarrod more deeply than he could ever say.

It was not lost on Victoria, either. "I agree, Jarrod. It's your decision. What happened in the past is past."

"Yes," Audra said. "I don't feel threatened in any way."

Then it was left to Nick. He looked around and realized he was the only one still feeling stuck with those old memories. "All right," he finally said. "You make your decision, Jarrod. I'm with you, too."

"Thank you," Jarrod said to everyone. "I'll talk to Alan tomorrow and let you know what I'm going to do after that."

It was time to head into the dining room for dinner, but as they went in together, Jarrod could still sense iciness coming from Nick. It might take a bit more time for Nick to really agree on this, but on the other hand, Jarrod figured that after he talked with Alan, this all might be a moot point. Just because he was talking to him, didn't mean he would defend him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning Jarrod went into the sheriff's office, his sidearm already in his hand, holding it out to the sheriff. "Well, I guess you'll talk to him at least," Sheriff Madden said.

Jarrod nodded as the sheriff took his gun. "I'll give him that much and talk to you later about what I decide about defending him."

The sheriff put Jarrod's gun in a desk drawer, got up and opened the cell block door. Jarrod walked toward the only occupied cell in the block. Alan Kyles looked up at him.

Alan was the youngest Kyles son, in his mid-twenties, tall and all gangly arms and legs but with a definite hound dog look in the face. Now that both his brothers were gone – Korby in prison and Emmet dead to pneumonia - he was the only son Jake Kyles had left, but Jake was nowhere around here this morning. "Morning, Mr. Barkley," Alan said without getting up off the cot.

Jarrod waited until the sheriff went back into his office. "Alan," Jarrod said. "I've been asked to talk to you about taking your case."

Alan snorted. "I don't know. You'd didn't do that much for Korby."

Jarrod turned to leave. "Suit yourself."

"Wait," Alan said, getting up and coming to the bars. "You considering representing me?"

"I'm thinking about it. I'm at least willing to hear what you have to say."

Kyles shook his head. "Not til you tell me that what I tell you is between you and me. Tell me you'll take my case, and I'll tell you what I know."

Jarrod didn't come in here ready to tell him that. "You tell me what you know, and I'll keep it confidential whether I take your case or not."

"What security I got in that?"

"The security of a man whose word is good, unlike yours. Now, tell me what you know."

"I didn't do it."

"Who did?"

"Man name of Allman, one of the ones who said I did it, but I'll bet you anything he's left town and won't be back to testify against me."

"Why would he and another one blame you?"

Alan hesitated. He looked toward the cell block door.

"The sheriff can't hear us," Jarrod said. "Tell me the truth, Alan. What's the whole thing about?"

Alan hesitated and finally said, "Money."

"I need more than that."

"The other one who said I did it – name's Stuart. Him and Allman and Trace, they was all in cahoots in a ring that got some Chinese here to Stockton to work as servants for some of Stockton's finest."

"'Cahoots'? You saying something illegal was going on?"

"Damn straight. Them Chinese was kidnapped out of China, brought here and sold to them they're working for."

Jarrod straightened up. For a moment he thought it was preposterous. There were plenty of Chinese around, but then he remembered more than one of Stockton's finest families complaining that Chinese help inside the home was hard to find. Jarrod felt his blood boiling. "Come now, Alan. Even if that were true, how would you know anything about it?"

"Korby was involved in it. He told me all about it before he went to prison."

"And how are you involved with it?"

"I ain't. I got nothin' at all to do with it, never did have."

"But you knew about it and didn't say anything to anyone."

"I don't squeal."

"But I'll bet you got at least one payoff out of this, didn't you?"

Alan nodded, reluctantly.

"What was the fight about?"

"Allman wanted to kill me. Trace and Stuart wanted to pay me off again. They argued. They never did get along much anyway."

"All right, tell me this. How did three wasted men and your brother Korby run a Chinese slavery ring when they didn't have a brain between the four of them?"

The hound dog eyes looked straight at him. "Col. Ashby. It was his operation. He paid the bills while Korby and them others did the work. And somebody else."

"Who else?"

"You gonna take my case?"

"Depends. Who else?"

Alan Kyles sighed and turned away. "You ain't gonna like it, Counselor."

"Give me a name, Alan, or I'm walking out now."

"Attorney Summers."

Jarrod felt stabbed. "Gerald Summers?" He was an Assistant District Attorney, a prosecutor in this county, well liked and well respected.

Alan nodded. "He's been paying the bills since Col. Ashby got killed."

"How do you know this?"

"Korby told me. Summers was in it all along, arranging getting the Chinese outta China and over here. He's kept that up but he's making most of the money now, too."

"And Korby told you that, too? He's in the know since he's been in prison?"

"I went to Trace with what Korby told me and wanted to be dealt in. They wouldn't do it, but they paid me a pittance to keep my mouth shut. Allman got tired of paying me. Why they was ever stupid enough to fight it out in a bar on a Saturday night – "

"Yes, why?"

"I don't know, but they did! Allman pulled the knife and killed Trace, then when everybody started seeing what was happening, he couldn't kill me. He talked Stuart into blamin' me. Guess they figure to get me out of their hair even if they couldn't kill me. Guess they figured nobody'd believe me."

Jarrod shook his head. "I don't believe any of this, Kyles."

"No? Maybe you ought to check in with the Tanner family or the Potter family, check on them new Chinks they got working in their houses. Summers arranged it and Allman, Stuart and Trace did the heavy work, and it all came finished just two weeks ago."

"Are you willing to tell the sheriff all this?"

"And dig my own grave on slavery charges? That ain't a whole let better than murder charges, Counselor. I told you, and you gotta keep it secret, I know. It's what you lawyers do and it's what you gave me your word on. I ain't sayin' nothin' to the sheriff or anybody else until my trial."

"What if I can get you a deal?"

Kyles snorted. "How you gonna get me a deal when the man who's up to his neck in this slavery thing is the man prosecutin' my case?"

Jarrod turned away. He felt as trapped in a cell as Kyles was. Everything Kyles had told him was information he had to keep confidential until Kyles released him from the obligation. "What have you told the sheriff?"

"That I didn't do it and Allman did."

"Did you say why?"

"I didn't say anything more than that."

Jarrod let everything turn over in his mind. He wasn't sure that whatever he did, it would be the right thing. But it did boil down to whether he believed Alan Kyles knifed Jubal Trace to death, and he believed those hound dog eyes. Alan did not do it. "I'll take your case," Jarrod said, "and I'll have to look into the rest of what you've told me, but only I and anyone who works for me will know what you've said to me until you cut me loose to talk about it, or unless someone else talks about it."

"I can't pay you."

"I know that. You'd never have enough money if you saved every penny you earned from the day you were born."

Jarrod banged on the cell block door, and Sheriff Madden came to let him out. Once they were back in the office, the sheriff returned his sidearm, and he could tell just by the way Jarrod moved and by the look on his face that Jarrod was taking Alan Kyles's case.

"You gonna go enter your appearance?" the sheriff asked.

Jarrod looked up at him and nodded. "He's got a credible defense. How I'm gonna put it together I don't know yet, but he's got one."

"I appreciate this, Jarrod."

Jarrod gave him a small smile. "I hope you still feel that way when this is all over."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Entering his appearance into the court record was the easy part of what Jarrod had to do when he left the sheriff's office. The hard part was going to see the prosecutor in the case.

Jarrod had known Gerald Summers for many years. He respected him and liked him, and he found it nearly impossible to believe the man had been tied up in some slavery ring with Col. Ashby. But when someone planted such a thought in your mind, you could find yourself believing it of your best friend, and Summers was far from being Jarrod's best friend. What Jarrod had to do now was discuss the case with Summers while not revealing, either in words or facial expressions, what Kyles had accused him of.

Jarrod went to Summers's office and told his secretary he needed to see him. She went into Summers's inner office to see if he was available. In a moment she was back out, inviting Jarrod to go in.

Jarrod went into the inner office and found Summers behind his desk. Jarrod extended a hand. "Gerald."

Summers stood up and shook Jarrod's hand. "Good to see you, Jarrod. What brings you by?"

Summers and Jarrod both sat down on opposite sides of the desk. Jarrod tried on his best poker face. "I wanted to tell you that I'll be representing Alan Kyles."

"Really?" Summers said, genuinely surprised. "I guess I should have expected you to do that when he couldn't find any other representation, but given your history with the Kyles family, it does surprise me."

"Well, history is history, Gerald. Alan says he didn't do it. He deserves to have his story in front of a jury."

"I'll get the standard information over to your office by tomorrow. Do you think we can go to trial in a week or two?"

Jarrod nodded. "Unless I uncover something unusual." He looked at Summers to see what kind of reaction that was going to get.

Summers just stood up and offered his hand. "Guess I'll see you in court then, Counselor."

Jarrod nodded and left. He didn't see how hard Summers was staring at his back, and frowning.

XXXXX

Jarrod's next problem was explaining this to his family. Despite their apparent willingness to accept him taking Alan Kyles's case, he wasn't sure how they'd react now that he'd done it. And he didn't know how he was going to keep from them his uneasiness about the other claims Kyles made. They would know right away that he was disturbed – he wouldn't even try to keep that from them. But they would probably sour on his representing Kyles as soon as they saw he was concerned, and that would throw the family right back into having a problem with him representing another Kyles, and that would drag all those memories up again.

 _I should have just said no and left it at that_ , Jarrod thought, but it was too late now.

He told them before dinner, and he saw right away that they were not happy with his decision, despite what they had said the night before. He found himself the odd man out in his own family again, and given everything that Kyles had told him, he felt like the odd man out everywhere. He suddenly wanted to get out, get away, if only long enough to gather himself back together again.

"If you'll excuse me," he said and put his glass of scotch back down on the refreshment table, "I think I'll get some air."

As soon as he was out the door, Heath said, "Well, that didn't go the way any of us wanted."

"I didn't think he'd take the case," Nick said.

"I guess none of us really did," Victoria said.

"I wonder what Alan Kyles said to him," Audra said.

"Lies, no doubt," Nick said.

"Whatever it was, he has to carry it all by himself," Heath said.

"Yes," Victoria said. "This won't be the first time but it looks more bothersome to him than it has before."

"You know," Heath said, "I find myself wondering something. If Jarrod had an assistant, could he consult with him and tell him things he couldn't tell us? I mean, would he be breaking his oath to tell his assistant something that Kyles told him?"

"I don't know," Victoria asked. "It might be worth talking to him about."

"Why? You plan to volunteer?" Nick asked.

Heath shrugged. "If he hired me and could tell me what his client told him, it might give him a way to ease his mind, and – well, don't they say two heads are better than one?"

"Good luck with that idea," Nick said sarcastically. "You know Jarrod doesn't like getting the family involved in his legal fol-de-rol."

"This time might be different," Heath said. "This time there's what happened before, and Jarrod seems extra troubled. Could you spare me for a while, if Jarrod goes for it? This might take a lot of time here and there."

"I can think of one reason Jarrod might not go for it," Nick said.

Audra understood right away. "He won't go for it if it's dangerous for you to know what he knows."

Victoria took a deep breath and let it out. "Perhaps, but it can't hurt to talk to him about it. If it isn't ethical, or if he thinks it's too dangerous, he'll decline your offer, Heath."

"And then what?" Nick asked. "We'll be more worried than ever."

Heath shook his head. "I need to ask. If he needs help – well, I just feel like I'm the one who ought to offer."

"Because of everything that happened with Korby," Victoria said.

Heath nodded. "Because of everything that happened with Korby."

At the dinner table, Heath put his idea before Jarrod, and Jarrod immediately shook his head. "I can't have you do that, Heath," he said. "This is likely to get as ugly as it did when I was defending Korby, and I won't put you in jeopardy again."

"Who said anybody else has to know what we're doing?" Heath said. "I can be your assistant and do some assisting, and nobody else has to know. Would that make it all right for you to talk to me about what your client told you?"

"Yeah, it would," Jarrod said, but he still hesitated.

"Why are you reluctant, Jarrod?" Victoria asked.

Jarrod looked up at her. "Because actions I took in Korby's case got Heath beaten up, out in the stable and on the witness stand. I can't risk doing that to you again, Heath. I swore to myself I'd never do that again."

Jarrod looked down at his plate while everyone else looked at each other, and then at Heath. Heath said, "Jarrod, if what you know is dangerous for you to know – well, then, you gotta protect yourself. If you don't feel right bringing me in on what you know, than bring Nick in."

Jarrod shook his head. "Nick has a big mouth."

"Hey!" Nick said.

Jarrod was serious. He looked hard at Nick. "I'm sorry, Nick, but you do."

"Then it has to be me," Heath said. "There's no way I'm gonna let you carry something like this alone. You either take me in as your assistant, or Nick and I start asking questions on our own."

Jarrod glared hard at both his brothers. "You will not. We've always agreed you'd stay out of my legal business."

\\]]aq1Victoria jumped in. "Listen to me, Jarrod. You've gotten into some pretty dangerous positions over the years, and we've stayed out of it until you've gotten hurt. Then we've jumped in with both feet. All Heath is talking about is getting in before you get hurt. If he is willing to accept the risk for you, then you should have the good grace to let him."

Jarrod looked at her, then back at Heath. "Heath – once you're in, you're in."

Heath nodded. "I understand that, Jarrod. If it's dangerous, I don't want you to have to face it alone."

Jarrod sighed. "All right. Plan on coming into the office with me tomorrow. We'll talk and make it official. You will officially be on my legal team."

 _And may God protect the both of us,_ Jarrod thought, and then immediately regretting his decision. The regrets about decisions were piling up.

XXXXX

After dinner, Jarrod retreated to the study and then out to the veranda, smoking a cigar. He really wanted to be alone, but he was not surprised when his mother came out to join him. He didn't know what to say to her. He just kept smoking.

"You're too worried," she said.

"I don't want to see Heath get hurt again," Jarrod said.

"And he doesn't want to see you get hurt again," Victoria said.

"Mother, Korby's case turned out to be a lot more complicated than it started out being."

"And this case may as well."

"It may," Jarrod said, "and beyond that, I can't talk about it."

"That's why you need Heath. You need someone you can talk to. You can't go on carrying these things alone. If you can ethically bring Heath in on it, you're doing the right thing by letting him in."

"Let's see if you say that in a week or two."

After that, he was shutting her out, she could tell. She squeezed his shoulder. "Don't stay up too late," she said.

Jarrod just nodded and felt her leave. He was relieved she was gone. He didn't want to talk about this anymore tonight. God alone knew what tomorrow was going to bring. He had to rest and be ready for that.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jarrod had a lot of second thoughts as he pulled the form from the filing cabinet in his office and brought it over to his desk. Heath sat there in front, waiting to see and sign this thing that would make his employment as his brother's assistant all legal and proper. He intended to read it carefully, even though he had no intention of not signing it. He just wanted Jarrod to know he was taking all this seriously.

Jarrod had been looking too solemn about this, in a way even frightened. Heath did not know why yet, of course, and maybe a part of him worried for a second or two about what he was getting into. But as Jarrod put the form in front of him and Heath read it, he knew it was important that he do this. Jarrod was putting himself on the line. Heath remembered that as he signed the form.

Without a word, Jarrod signed it, too, and then he returned it to another file in the filing cabinet. He came back to the desk and sat down behind it. He folded his hands in front of him and stared at them.

"What I'm about to tell you is something you cannot tell another person – not Nick, not Audra, not Mother. No one. It's information I learned from our client, Alan Kyles. At this point I don't know if all of it is true, and as long as you're going to work for me, it's something you can look into – BUT you will do so only under my express direction." Jarrod looked straight at Heath, deadly serious.

Heath nodded. "I understand."

Jarrod leaned back in his chair. "Alan Kyles claims that one of the witnesses against him, a man named Allman, really killed the man Alan is accused of killing, one Jubal Trace. The other witness against Alan is a man named Stuart. Alan claims Allman, Trace and Stuart were involved with Korby and Col. Ashby in another operation of Ashby's – a Chinese slavery ring."

Heath winced visibly.

"Alan says he's been getting money from Allman, Trace and Stuart to keep quiet, and that those three have been continuing the operation since Ashby was killed. Allman killed Trace because they disagreed on whether to keep paying Alan off. They're the muscle in the ring. The man running it now was in it with Ashby and is the prosecuting attorney in Alan's case, Gerald Summers."

Now Heath practically moaned. He rubbed his forehead. "Do you believe any of this, Jarrod?"

"I don't know yet," Jarrod said. "I pray to God it's Alan making a story up, but frankly, I've never heard of these men Trace, Allman and Stuart. I don't think they're local. Do you know them?"

Heath shook his head. "No."

"Apparently they come and go, just like they would if they were into something illegal like this."

"Have you talked to Summers?"

"Not about this, and I don't intend to yet. Everything I've told you is confidential, Heath, and you don't even want to let on to anybody that I'm telling you anything about this case. If Summers is dirty, he's going to figure out I know he is. I don't want him thinking that you know, too."

"That puts you all by yourself in the line of fire, Jarrod."

"It's not gonna help me any having you there, too."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Right now, nothing. I have to chew on this a bit more. Right now I just need a sounding board, and maybe some investigation and protection at some point. Somehow I have to figure out a way to bring this slavery operation to Fred Madden's attention without violating my client's confidentiality. If Alan is right, then some of our most prominent citizens have bought Chinese slaves. Kyles says the Tanners and the Potters have slave help, but I don't know. What I do know is that once this breaks – and it will – it will not be pretty."

"It's vast, isn't it?"

"It could be. I have to figure out how I'm going to handle it. I'd appreciate it if you thought about that, too, but you cannot tell any of this to Nick or Mother or anybody else. It has to stay between you and me."

Heath nodded. "I understand."

Jarrod eyed him. "Sorry you got into this, aren't you?"

"Well, I ain't exactly happy, but I ain't exactly happy with the thought of you being in it by yourself, either." Heath got up and turned toward the door. "If you feel threatened at any time, you gotta let me know."

Jarrod nodded. "I will. And you do the same."

"Hopefully it won't come to that for either one of us."

XXXXXX

Jarrod tried to track down Allman and Stuart, but he had no luck. They were not staying at the hotel or the boarding house, and Harry at the saloon said he hadn't seen them since Saturday night. Maybe there was a stroke of luck here, Jarrod thought. Maybe they had skipped town for good, and the charge against Alan Kyles would be dropped for lack of testimony against him.

Jarrod knew he'd have to do one more thing he didn't like the thought of before he started to think he'd gotten lucky. He went back over to Gerald Summers's office.

"What can I do for you, Counselor?" Summers asked. "I got that information you need right here." Summers handed him a file.

Jarrod took a quick look. There was a report listing Allman and Stuart as witnesses, copies of statements, not much else. "Do you know where Allman and Stuart are?"

"Offhand, no."

"Well, I've been trying to find them and haven't had any luck. I think they've left town on you."

Summers frowned, but Jarrod didn't buy into it. Summers knew they'd left town.

"They both said they were only here for a day or two but would be back for the trial," Summers said.

"Which means, I can't talk to them before the trial," Jarrod said. "I'll ask for a continuance if that happens, Gerald, and I'll ask that my client be released until the trial."

Summers nodded.

"If you can reach them, get them back and we can avoid all that," Jarrod said.

"I'll see what I can do," Summers said. "I'll let you know."

Jarrod nodded and got up. He went out without talking any more and left quickly. He did not want to talk to Summers any more than he had to.

As he went back to his own office, he become more and more convinced that Summers was hiding something. He wasn't the kind of man to hide witnesses – he was smart enough to know that tactic never worked to his advantage. That left the idea that he knew what Alan Kyles had said about this whole thing. Jarrod detested that thought, but it was becoming more obvious that it was true, which meant that Alan was exposed if Summers was inclined to kill him to keep him from talking. It also mean that Jarrod himself might be exposed.

Which Jarrod figured was going to happen at some point. Well, it looked like maybe it was here.

His secretary was not in the office. She was part time and not due in today, and Jarrod was inclined to send her a message to take time off until further notice. He didn't want her around for this in case it went bad. He went to her boarding house, found her there and told her he wanted her to take time off, with pay. She was pleased to do it.

Jarrod left trying to think of who else he needed to protect, but he could think of no one else. By then his stomach was grumbling. He went to the Stockton House for some lunch.

He had hardly been served before Sheriff Madden came into the café, obviously looking for him. "Sit down, Fred, have some lunch on me," Jarrod said.

The sheriff shook his head. "I need to get back. I just wanted you to know – your client made bail."

Jarrod went pale.

Sheriff Madden noticed. "Why is that bad news?"

"Is he out yet?" Jarrod asked.

"About an hour ago."

Jarrod wiped his mouth wit his napkin and put the napkin on his plate. "Do you know where he went?"

"Home, I guess."

Jarrod got up and went out without another word.

Sheriff Madden took off after him and caught up with him just outside the Stockton House. "Jarrod – what's wrong?"

"If my client is telling the truth and he didn't kill Trace, then he could be in danger."

"Why?"

"Fred, where would Alan Kyles get the money to put up bail? Somebody had to do it for him. Why would anybody do it for him?"

"What do you know that I don't know, Jarrod?"

"Nothing I can tell you yet, but trust me when I tell you Alan's life might be in danger."

"I'll go with you out to the Kyles place."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It seemed very quiet at the Kyles place when Jarrod and Sheriff Madden got there and dismounted. They moved slowly up to the front door and knocked. No one answered. They tried the door, and it opened. They went in.

And no one was there. They checked every room. No one was there.

Jarrod sighed. "Alan and Jake have to be around here somewhere."

"They could have gone hunting or something," the sheriff said.

"Not likely," Jarrod said.

The door opened, and both Alan and Jake came in.

Jake immediately looked angry. "What are you two doin' in my house?"

"Looking for Alan," Jarrod said. "He's my client, after all, and I got worried when he made bail. Fred, do you mind heading back to town? I need to talk to my client."

"Sure, Jarrod, see you later," the sheriff said and left.

After he was gone and closed the front door, Jarrod asked, "Who bailed you out, Alan?"

Alan looked at his father. "Is that important, Counselor?"

"It could be," Jarrod said. "What I'm afraid of is that somebody bailed you out to kill you."

"We don't know who bailed him out," Jake Kyles admitted.

"Then I think you'd better assume it was somebody who wants him dead," Jarrod said. "I want you to let me take him back to jail, for protective custody."

"Wait a minute – " Jake said.

"Do you want him dead?!" Jarrod almost shouted. "Alan, do you want to be dead?!"

"No!" Alan said quickly.

"Then go back with me. The sheriff will protect you."

"He'll be cornered like a rat in jail!" Jake protested.

"He'll be safer there than he is here," Jarrod said. "Alan, it's up to you, but I only have your safety in mind."

Alan shuffled his feet, looked down at them, and shook his head. "Guess I'll go with you."

Jake did not argue anymore, but his eyes spat fury as Jarrod took Alan out the door.

They weren't even to their horses, tied up just outside the porch, before the firing started.

Somebody in the trees straight ahead was taking dead aim at Alan. He was not hit, but bullets smacked into the porch and sent him running back into the house. Jarrod drew his gun, returned fire, and ran back into the house.

Jake already had his rifle out and was firing into the trees from a window. Jarrod left the front door slightly ajar and fired back several times before ducking back in and reloading. As he did, Alan grabbed another rifle and began firing from another window.

There was sporadic firing for several minutes before they heard a horse running off. They all saw one man on horseback riding fast toward town.

Jarrod yelled, "Stay here!" and ran for his own horse. In a moment he was after the rider – and hoping there was only one man involved in this.

Jarrod never did catch the man, but the man never turned on him, either. Jarrod chased him long enough to be sure he was far away, then he turned back for his client.

He hadn't gone far before he ran into Jake and Alan coming his way. Jarrod pulled up.

"I'm goin' in with you," Alan said. Both he and Jake had their rifles with them.

Jarrod nodded. "With the three of us we should be safe."

He turned his horse, and together they rode into Stockton.

XXXXXX

Jarrod and Jake got Alan safely back to jail. Jake actually thanked Jarrod and the sheriff before he turned to go home. Fred Madden looked very surprised.

As soon as the sheriff locked Alan back into a cell, he came back to Jarrod in the office and said, "I checked on who bailed him out. Some stranger, they said at the courthouse. Nobody knew him. Hired by somebody else to do it, no doubt."

Jarrod nodded unhappily and said, "Fred, I'd like a word with my client."

"Sure, Jarrod," the sheriff said, took Jarrod's sidearm and let him back in the cell block.

"Alan," Jarrod said, "I think you'd better tell the sheriff everything you've told me about this slavery business."

Alan looked frightened. "They'll send me to prison!"

"No, I don't think so," Jarrod tried to reassure him. "The only thing you even _might_ be guilty of is extortion, and I'm pretty sure I can get that charge dropped or get you a suspended sentence if you cooperate with the sheriff to get this slavery ring broken up. As long as you're in protective custody, you're safe. If we don't break up this ring, you could be endangered again once you're out, and with Allman and Stuart gone, the murder charge against you will be dropped and you will be set free. For your own safety, Alan, you need to tell the sheriff everything."

Alan still looked nervous about it. "Mr. Barkley, I don't want to go to prison."

"I don't want you to go to prison. Your best bet in avoiding that is to tell the sheriff everything."

Alan chewed on it, paced around his cell once, then came back to the bars. "Okay. Bring him in."

XXXXX

Jarrod listened to his client spill everything to Sheriff Madden, and he watched his old friend get more and more alarmed about it. When Alan was through with his story, Jarrod smiled at him and left with the sheriff, saying, "You won't be sorry for this, Alan."

The tall, lanky young man still looked worried.

Jarrod followed the sheriff into his office and found him looking even more worried. The sheriff turned, handed Jarrod his sidearm back and said, "Well, even if all that is true, how the hell am I gonna get the goods on Gerald Summers or the Tanners or the Potters?"

"Somebody took a shot at us today, Fred," Jarrod said. "Somebody is getting nervous, and he'll make a mistake."

"And what if that mistake gets somebody killed, like Alan in there or even you?"

Jarrod shook his head. "What choice do we have except to wait for our break?"

"Do you have anyone investigating this?"

"Heath. He's been in this with me since the beginning. I hired him on as my Assistant Lawyer and swore him to keep what Alan told me as confidential, but that's all a moot point now." Jarrod smiled at his made-up term "assistant lawyer."

"What has Heath found out?"

"Not much yet. Mostly I've been using him as a sounding board."

"You want to let me in on it?

"Not just yet, Fred. Suffice it to say he's keeping his eyes and ears open in the right places."

The sheriff heaved a sigh. "Jarrod, I hope you know what you're doing. You could get both you and Heath killed."

"I don't think the risk is that great, Fred."

The sheriff still looked worried.

XXXXX

Jarrod stopped by his office long enough to read the material Summers had given him. There wasn't much there, a report from the sheriff, statements from both Allman and Stuart that Kyles had killed Trace, no statements from anyone else. Jarrod rubbed his forehead. It confirmed what he already knew – all there was against Alan was the testimony of these two men who had disappeared. The murder charge against Alan would have to be dropped.

Jarrod made his way home and arrived there at about the same time Nick and Heath came in from the range.

"You look more tired than we do," Nick said.

"Rough day," Jarrod said. "Heath, you and I need to talk."

Ciego took their horses, and Jarrod and Heath went into the house. Leaving their hats in the foyer, they went straight to the library and closed the door.

Jarrod paced. "Allman and Stuart – the witnesses against Alan who he says were part of this slavery ring – they've disappeared. Somebody bailed Alan out of jail, and I went to the Kyles place to talk him into coming back for protective custody, but somebody in the woods opened fire on us when we tried to leave. Nobody was hurt, we chased the man off. I got Alan back to town and into protective custody. It sounds like somebody's tying up loose ends."

"Summers?" Heath asked.

"Maybe," Jarrod said. "I talked to him twice. He tried to seem perfectly normal, but I'm not buying it. Anyway, in the meantime I got Alan to waive the attorney-client privilege and tell Fred Madden everything he knew."

"So we don't have to worry about secrets anymore?"

"Not the ones we learned from Alan, but still, don't go spreading things around, not even to Nick. If a lot of people end up knowing, we may never shut this slavery ring down."

"What do you want to do?"

"I don't know," Jarrod said, scratching his head. "I know I still don't want anybody else knowing you're helping me. That would put you right in the line of fire. And I don't want Nick knowing any more than he already does, at least not yet."

"I told Nick not to tell anyone about me. Guess you'd better remind Mother and Audra."

Jarrod nodded. "If anything happens to me, Heath, all bets are off. Tell Nick and Fred anything you have to tell them, but don't let Nick fly off the handle. This slavery ring will still be operating, and getting it shut down is more important than anything."

"You think your life is in danger?" Heath asked, shivering silently.

"I don't know," Jarrod said, "but I just wanted you to know what to do if anything happens. If Alan is alive and I'm not, I want you to do what you can to help Fred protect him and get this slavery ring out of business."

"Maybe you ought to have a bodyguard."

Jarrod shook his head. "That will just telegraph to whoever is behind all this that Alan told me what he told me and I'll be a bigger target. It'll be better if I just look like everything is normal and I'm just doing what I need to do to get him off a murder charge."

"I still don't like it much, and if anything does happen to you and Nick finds out – "

"I know what Nick will do if he finds out. That's why I'm going to draft a letter to the family, just in case. It'll be up in the desk in my room. I'm counting on you to see that they see it if it comes to that."

Heath took a big, worried breath.

Jarrod gave him a grin and put a hand on his shoulder. "You want me to fire you yet?"

Heath chuckled. "Not yet. But don't ever hire me again."

"Deal," Jarrod said. "Let's clean up and get a drink. I really need one."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After dinner, Jarrod excused himself and went to his room, claiming he had work to do. Victoria noticed that Heath's gaze followed Jarrod for at least half his trip up the stairs. She knew when to be worried, and she was worried, but she left it alone.

Jarrod went into his room, lit the lamp by his desk, and sat down to write the letter he'd told Heath he would write. It was incredibly difficult to say what he had to say. He thought for long minutes before he even started.

Then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and wrote.

 _Dear Family –_

 _I regret I have to say this in a letter, but if you are reading it, you know that I can't talk to you personally. Something has happened to me. I may or may not be alive, but either way, you need to know this._

 _It does concern the Alan Kyles case, and Heath does know several things that you do not know._

 _Alan Kyles has told me he is involved indirectly with a Chinese slavery ring operating in Stockton. Gerald Summers may or may not be part of this ring – at this writing I do not know the truth. Men named Allman and Stuart are also involved. Fred Madden knows these two men and is now actively investigating the situation._

 _I am sorry if I have left you under these circumstances. It couldn't be helped. Nick, don't go blaming Heath for not telling you what he knows before now. He had no choice, and I had no choice. Initially the law bound us both to silence, and you know, above everything else, I was dedicated to the law. We also have your safety and Mother's and Audra's at heart._

 _As I write this, things are beginning to break. If you are reading this letter, you know things have become more dangerous. Nick, trust Heath and Fred Madden, and help them straighten this out for good._

 _Above all, take care of each other._

 _All my love, forever, Jarrod_

Jarrod read it over and thought it stunk as a final good-bye, but then he hoped his family would never see it. He folded it and put it into one of the drawers of his desk. Then he laid himself down on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a long time before he got up to prepare for sleep – even though he doubted he would be sleeping much tonight.

XXXXX

In the morning, Jarrod and Heath happened to cross paths as they were going down to breakfast. Even before saying good morning, Heath said, "Jarrod, I need a word with you soon as we can."

"Now," Jarrod said, and waved Heath into his room.

They went in and Jarrod closed the door. Heath went deeper into the room so that no one in the hall would hear him. "I been thinking about everything. Seems to me that maybe what we need to do is get to Tanner or Potter, get something on them that proves they bought Chinese slaves, and use them to bring Summers and the slavery ring down."

"I've been thinking the same thing," Jarrod said.

"Yeah, well, I think I got a way to try to do that. Nick and I go into town for poker a couple times a week. On Saturday night, Rawley Smith is always there. He's Tanner's foreman. He's got no love for Chinese, doesn't like having them around. Maybe we can shake some information out of him. I can prod him a bit when I see him. He might just let something slip."

"If he knows anything," Jarrod said.

"It's worth a try."

Jarrod nodded. "All right. Saturday's a couple days away – maybe lying low a while might be a good idea. With Alan back in jail, whoever's taking shots at him might lie low, too."

Jarrod was right. Nothing much happened over the next few days. Allman and Stuart did not turn up. Alan Kyles remained in protective custody, and Sheriff Madden was actually beginning to like him – he was a pretty good checkers player.

Saturday came. Nick and Heath planned to go into town after dinner, so before dinner, Jarrod privately drilled Heath a bit on how to ask questions and how not to ask them. Heath already had a pretty good idea how to do it but appreciated the help. With a slap on the arm and a bit of worry, Jarrod sent him on his way.

Heath and Nick wandered into Harry's bar just as they normally would on a Saturday night. They all made their way to the bar and ordered beer that Nick paid for, then he and Heath began to look around the room. It was very crowded, as usual, and there were several card games going. Nick scanned for an open seat at a card game; Heath scanned for Rawley Smith. It was crowded and tough to see everyone who was seated at a table.

Heath finally spotted a table with one vacancy in the game and saw Rawley Smith there. "Got my spot," Heath said and took his beer there.

"I'll keep looking," Nick mumbled as Heath walked away.

Heath made his way to the table. "Mind if I sit in?" he asked.

The man currently dealing – somebody Heath did not know – motioned him to sit down, so he did.

"Dealer's choice?" Heath asked.

"Five card draw, nothing wild," the man said and began to deal.

Heath looked around at all the players. Aside from the dealer and Rawley, Heath saw one other man who worked for Tanner and two strangers. Heath picked up his cards and looked at his hand. "What's the limit?"

"Ten," the dealer said.

Heath looked at his hand. Not great, but when one of the strangers opened, Heath and everyone else called. Heath took three cards from the draw and still had a mediocre hand. He folded when the betting started and just watched the other players.

Rawley Smith won the pot, and it was his turn to deal. He shuffled, called five card draw nothing wild and began to deal.

"How's life at the Barkley spread?" he asked as he dealt.

"Same old," Heath said.

Rawley finished dealing and the men played the hand out without conversation. Heath folded early and the stranger who had dealt first took the pot. It was Heath's turn to deal, and he also called five card draw nothing wild. As he dealt, he asked, "What's new out Tanner way, Rawley?"

"Same old," Rawley said as well.

"Are you hiring these days?"

"Why? You quitting the family?"

"No," Heath chuckled. "I'm stayin' put."

They played the hand out quietly again. Heath folded early again. He gave a glance up and saw Nick still at the bar, now talking to someone Heath did not know.

As the next dealer dealt, Heath said, "Heard you took on some new help."

"Not in the field," Rawley said. "Boss hired some new help in the house."

"Is she pretty?" Heath asked with a chuckle.

"She's a he, and he's a Chink," Rawley said.

 _All right,_ Heath thought and looked at the cards he was dealt. Two queens, two jacks and a three. _All right,_ he thought again.

"Tanner hasn't hired any house help before, has he?"

"No," Rawley said, "but the missus was needling him for it every chance she got. She didn't care who heard her do it, either."

Heath chuckled. "Women have a was of getting what they want, don't they? Is she happy with the Chinaman?"

"Seems to be. Boy seems to be fresh out of China, though. Doesn't know English."

"Just a kid?"

"Just a kid. How come the Barkleys never hired any Chinese help?"

"We got Silas. He's getting up there in years, but he's gold. Reckon someday Nick might hire some extra help, but he'd want somebody who speaks English. Kinda tough to find that in a Chinese houseman, I reckon."

"Yeah, I don't now how they got this boy, but then I don't ask. Somehow I think I don't want to know."

Rawley grinned about that. Heath just let it go and conversation ended while they kept playing cards. But Heath knew that Rawley knew that when Tanner got his Chinese houseman, it probably wasn't on the up and up. Heath let it all go now, but he knew he had something. Maybe just a crumb, but maybe not.

XXXXX

Jarrod was not up when Nick and Heath got back to the ranch, so Heath had to wait until morning to talk to him. It was early rising and getting ready for church, but Jarrod called a quick meeting in the library while Victoria and Audra were still getting ready.

"Did you find out anything?" Jarrod asked even as he closed the doors.

"Rawley Smith and I talked over poker," Heath said. "He told me about the new Chinese houseboy – just a kid, speaks no English. I got the definite feeling that Rawley thinks this hiring on isn't legitimate."

Jarrod sighed and thought about it. "Well, it's something. When do you expect to see Rawley again?"

"Next Saturday night. You got a trial date for Alan Kyles yet?"

"Two weeks. But I got the feeling the witnesses won't show up and Alan will be cut loose then."

"And he'll be a target again."

"Possibly. It'll look funny if I ask for a continuance, and if Summers asks for one I'll have to object or he'll know I was onto him. We have to shake something loose before the trial date."

"Maybe you need to put some more pressure on things – go out and talk to the Tanners yourself?"

Jarrod looked up. "That's risky. Summers will put me right in his gun sights, and I can't go into protective custody. No, putting too much pressure on things could end up getting somebody killed – me, or you if the wrong person found out you were helping me. And I'm not convinced Summers is actually the only man in town who's in on this ring. We have to go easy."

"Fred Madden okay with that?"

Jarrod nodded. "For now."

"You know, if Alan gets out of jail, he might just try to run his little extortion game again."

"He might, but I can't do anything about that. And it would probably get him killed. Even he knows that by now."

"Well, what do you want me to do?"

Jarrod thought. "Lay low. It's Sunday. Let's go to church and enjoy some relaxation time afterward, here at home. Maybe a good cigar and a game of pool or two will bring things into perspective."

Heath nodded. "But in the meantime, if I see Rawley around or any other of the Tanner hands, maybe I can prod a little again?"

"A little. Just not too much. The last thing I want to do is put you into the gun sights."

Heath smiled, lop-sided. "Brother Jarrod, I'd take a bullet for you any day."

Jarrod felt a sudden wave of gratitude and affection roll over him. "I appreciate that, Brother Heath, but let's avoid it if we can, all right?"

Heath nodded. "I will need to go into town for supplies tomorrow."

"Just do whatever it is you normally do. You should be all right."

"I normally hit Harry's for a drink."

Jarrod nodded. "Then do it."

"I'll keep my ears open. You never know what you might pick up in Harry's."

Jarrod nodded again. "We'll talk again tomorrow night. And Heath – thanks for doing all this for me. It really has been a help, even just have a sounding board."

"My pleasure, Jarrod – but please, fire me when this is all over."

Jarrod chuckled. "Happily, dear brother. I'll fire you happily."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was mid-afternoon on Monday when Heath went to Stockton for some supplies. He was alone – Nick needed to stay with the herd – but that was nothing unusual. He parked the wagon by the mercantile and took his order in, as usual. And then he headed for Harry's saloon, as usual.

It was not that crowded in there – one table full of card players, another where three man drank and talked – and one table where Rawley Smith sat alone. Drinking alone. Heath was surprised to see him, especially since he looked downright unhappy. Heath ordered a beer and took it over to that table.

"Hey, Rawley," Heath said and sat down. "Drinking alone? That ain't like you."

Rawley looked up. "What are you doing here, Heath?"

"Picking up supplies, getting a drink while they take care of my order at the mercantile. Why are you in town?"

"Cogitating," Rawley said. He did not look good. Something was happening.

"Shouldn't you be out with your herd?"

Rawley finished off the beer he was drinking. "Had to come to town for some supplies for the missus. She's madder than a wet hen."

"How come?"

"That little Chinaman up and disappeared yesterday."

Heath felt the earth shake under him. "What? He run off?"

"Don't know. He's just gone."

Heath took a sip of beer. "Why are you so bothered? You don't like Chinamen that much."

Rawley finally looked at Heath's eyes, good and steady. "Something ain't right. I don't know what it is, but I don't think that boy ran off."

"You talk to the sheriff?"

Rawley shook his head. "Mr. Tanner told me not to. Said the boy was gone and good riddance, but – I don't care if he was a Chinaman – he's just a boy. Boy shouldn't just mean nothing, you know? I smell a rat, Heath. Don't you tell anybody I said so, but I smell something really foul."

Heath took another drink from his beer. "I can talk to my brother Jarrod. He might could look into this and nobody needs to know the information came from you. He does this all the time, you know?"

"Pokes his nose into other people's business? Yes, he does. That's lawyers for you."

Heath chuckled. "That boy turns up, you get word to me, okay? Meanwhile, I'll see if Jarrod wants to look into it. Now, you just forget about it."

Rawley nodded. "Thanks, Heath. I just hope nothing bad has happened to that boy. He's just a kid."

"Jarrod will find out. You just let it go and go about your business."

Rawley nodded again. Heath finished his beer, gave Rawley a slap on the back, and left.

And he walked back to the mercantile, both frightened and hopeful. Like Rawley, he had a feeling that something bad had happened to that Chinese boy, but he also had a feeling that this was going to be the break in this case that Jarrod needed.

XXXX

When they spoke that evening, Jarrod had the same feeling. "I'll take this to Fred," he said. "He can investigate this boy's disappearance, and it will lead him right into the slavery ring."

"And you won't be sticking your neck out any further than it already is," Heath said. "I want you to keep Rawley's name out of this, Jarrod. I told him you would. No sense putting his neck in the noose just yet."

Jarrod nodded. "I'll go see Fred first thing in the morning. In the meantime, you quit prodding anybody for information. If you hear anything, that's fine, but act like it's just another runaway to you, nothing you're concerned with."

Heath nodded. "I won't be going into town before Saturday night anyway."

"Let's just stay the course," Jarrod said and slapped Heath on the back. "It's gonna work."

XXXXX

It was only a little past nine the next morning when Jarrod went into the sheriff's office. Fred Madden was there alone. The cell block door was open, and Jarrod called a hello to his client after the sheriff waved him in there. Jarrod really didn't want to tell Alan his news, but he wanted to try to keep the young man's spirits up. For a moment, he was amazed he wanted to do that for a Kyles.

"How you doing?" Jarrod asked.

"Going stir crazy," Alan said. "I swear, Mr. Barkley, when I get out of here I'm gonna change all my ways. I'm never gonna do anything to get in trouble again. I'm gonna find me a real job if I have to go all the way to San Francisco for it."

Jarrod suddenly had mental vision of Alan Kyles manning a boat to China and smiled to himself about the irony, but he just said, "It won't be very long, Alan. We'll get you through this."

Jarrod went back out to the office, but pulled the cell block door closed behind him, casually as if he was doing it out of habit.

"I need to talk to you, Fred," he said and sat down in the chair in front of the sheriff's desk.

"Let me hear it," the sheriff said.

"The Chinese houseboy the Tanners just hired has disappeared."

Sheriff Madden sat up straighter. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Heath got it, but I'd rather not reveal the source just yet. Promised not to. I think you'd better pay a visit to the Tanners, though."

"They'll probably say the Chinaman just ran off."

"Probably, but you know how to read a man. Read Tanner."

"All right," the sheriff said. "I'll have a talk with him and not tell him where I got my information. Stop by later today and I'll let you know what happened."

Jarrod nodded, got up and went out the door – and ran straight into Gerald Summers. Jarrod was surprised – he hoped it didn't show that much. "Gerald," he said. "Didn't expect to see you today."

"Well, I was looking for you, saw you come in to see your client. Heard he made bail last week but he's back in. Also heard somebody took a shot at him."

"Where'd you hear that?" Jarrod asked.

"I have my sources, too, Jarrod," Summers said. "I suspect you'd like to keep your man in protective custody for a while, so maybe I can interest you in a continuance."

 _Oh, my_ , Jarrod thought to himself. Summers was pre-empting the move, bringing up the continuance idea to force Jarrod's hand. Jarrod couldn't agree to it – it would look all wrong because it would give Summers more time to put a case against Alan together. But not agreeing to it would have Alan out of jail and back into the gun sights. It was a neat little trap.

Jarrod decided to do a little lawyer dance. "So it's true your witnesses are nowhere to be found, is it?"

Summers shrugged. "I'll neither confirm nor deny, Counselor."

"Tell you what, Gerald. Let's just wait on the continuance. File it now and I'll oppose it, but wait on it and maybe I'll let you have it. You know somebody is taking shots at my client. I'm not gonna let anybody hit him, no matter where he is."

Jarrod touched his hat brim and walked on toward his office. He hadn't really lost much in that encounter, but he thought he might have gained something – confirmation that he was looking in the right places, and more certainty that Summers was involved.

When he got to his office, he closed the door behind him and settled in to think. Would the sheriff find anything at the Tanner place to help them with this? He really couldn't plan anything until he knew what was going to come from that, but he leaned back and put his feet up on his desk anyway. And thought about everything.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Jarrod didn't have to wait long for another break to come. He gave the sheriff a couple hours to go talk to Tanner, and then he went back to the sheriff's office to see what had happened. The sheriff told him that he had told Tanner he'd heard the boy ran off – did he want the sheriff to go looking for him? Tanner had said what they expected him to say – the Chinese boy must have run off, he was just gone, good riddance.

But as Jarrod went to leave the office, he saw Tanner passing by on the street. Tanner pulled up to Harry's saloon and tied his horse to the hitching rail there. Jarrod ducked back into the sheriff's office.

"Tanner just rode into town," Jarrod said. "He's down at Harry's."

"Hmm," the sheriff said and came to the window.

Both Jarrod and the sheriff looked out. "Think I ought to go make things more uncomfortable for him?" Jarrod asked.

"He shouldn't know you're involved in this in any way," the sheriff said. "I didn't mention a thing about you or Alan Kyles or anybody else."

"I wonder why he came to town? To talk to Summers maybe?"

"No telling. Maybe I ought to go on over to Harry's. That ought to make Tanner nervous."

"Why don't we both just keep an eye out and see where Tanner goes from here? I'll head on back to my office and watch from there."

"All right. But be careful. If Tanner and Summers are gonna meet up – things might blow up, and you don't want to be there when they do."

"Maybe I do," Jarrod said.

"Just watch it."

"Oh, I will," Jarrod said and left to go to his office.

The sheriff wasn't sure exactly what "watch it" meant to Jarrod.

As he walked to his office, and even after he went in and kept watch on Harry's saloon, Jarrod wished the new telephone invention was something he had rigged up out to the ranch, because he would dearly love to have Heath wander into the saloon right now. But of course, he didn't have any way of sending for Heath that wouldn't take less than two hours to get him here, and that was too long.

He definitely knew it was too long when he spotted Tanner leave the saloon and head for the District Attorney's office. Oh, to be a fly on that wall.

Jarrod kept watching. It wasn't long before Tanner came back out and rode out of town toward home. Jarrod thought he could pretty well guess how that conversation went. Tanner told Summers that the sheriff had been to see him about his missing houseboy. Summers asked Tanner what he'd said. Tanner said he said the boy just went missing. Summers told him everything would be all right, everyone would believe that. Tanner left.

And now Summers was figuring how to get rid of the loose thread Tanner represented, because that houseboy had probably been killed, to keep him quiet.

Jarrod made a snap decision and went over to Summers's office. He hoped to catch Summers off-balance. He met Summers's secretary and smiled as he took his hat off. "I wonder if I might see Mr. Summers."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Barkley," she said. "He left just a minute ago."

"Oh?" Jarrod wondered how he missed him, but figured Summers might have gotten out while Jarrod was leaving his building and couldn't see Summers's building. "Any idea where he went or when he'll be back?"

"He didn't say," she said. "Can I take a message?"

"No," Jarrod said. "I guess it can wait until tomorrow."

Jarrod left in a hurry and was headed to the sheriff's office when he saw Summers at a distance, riding out of town. Jarrod grew very nervous, for Tanner. Something smelled very bad. He ran to the sheriff's office.

"What?" Fred Madden asked.

"Tanner went to see Summers, then he left, and then Summers left town right after him."

The sheriff got up. "When?''

"Just now," Jarrod said.

The sheriff didn't have a deputy handy. He said, "You're deputized, come on," and he and Jarrod hurried out the door.

In a few minutes they were mounted and about to head out of town – but there was Heath, coming into town from the opposite end, behind them. He called, and they stopped for him.

"Rawley Smith came to see me," Heath said. "He said the sheriff came to the Tanner place, and Rawley's mad and nervous that something's going on."

"You're deputized," Sheriff Madden said, "because something may be going on right now. Come on."

Heath rode off with them.

They didn't know for sure that it was Tanner's place that Summers was headed for, but they went in that direction, and they heard the shots from a pretty far distance. They moved faster, Heath slightly ahead because his horse was faster. It was Heath that spotted Tanner down in the road, his horse taking off for home without him, but Heath did not see anyone else. Being careful, he grabbed his rifle, dismounted and took cover.

Heath looked everywhere he could. He was happy to see the sheriff and his brother coming up behind him, but he scarcely had time to look before someone took a shot at them. It had to be Summers. Desperation was making the man crazy.

Jarrod and the sheriff dismounted, grabbed their rifles, and took cover on the other side of the road. They had no idea exactly where the shooter was, but Heath reckoned he was on the side of the road opposite his, further toward the Tanner place. Tanner was lying as still as could be in the road. Somebody had to get to him fast.

Heath took a couple shots toward the other side of the road, aiming so as not to hit Jarrod or the sheriff. It worked. Somebody fired back, and the sheriff saw the muzzle flash. He fired.

The shooter fired back, but the sheriff could tell he was moving – the muzzle flash was moving through the trees. Heath saw the muzzle flash this time and took a shot. The shooter fired at him and hit the rock in front of him. Rock dust flew into Heath's face and eyes, taking him out of the fight.

The shooter fired again, and Sheriff Madden was hit, a graze to his right arm. It wasn't serious, but it tore his rifle right out of his hands.

Still unscathed, Jarrod fired back, and there came a crashing in the brush barely thirty feet away, on their side of the road. He and the sheriff stood up cautiously, looking, but they couldn't see if anyone was down. The sheriff retrieved his rifle, and they both moved slowly toward the crash.

Heath got most of the dust out of his eyes, but they were still watering as he carefully got up and headed for Tanner. Just as he reached Tanner, Jarrod and the sheriff reached the shooter in the brush.

"Summers!" Jarrod called to his brother.

"Tanner's dead," Heath called back.

The sheriff sighed heavily. "So is Summers," he said more quietly, but Heath heard him.

They met in the road. Jarrod took a look at his younger brother's face, spotted with blood. "You're hit," he said.

Heath shook his head. "Only with rock dust."

"Looks more like buckshot," Jarrod said, and he looked at the sheriff's arm, too. "We gotta get you two cleaned up and get these two back to town."

Heath shook his head. "What money does to good men."

The sheriff said, "Yeah. It's a crime."

XXXX

They took the bodies back to town, and as they rode in, they drew quite a crowd. Bringing one body in always made people look, but bringing two was unheard of. They took the bodies to the undertaker's, and Jarrod dismounted there, to take care of turning the men over for burial. Heath and Sheriff Madden took themselves to the doctor's office to get their injuries taken care of.

When Jarrod came out of the undertaker's, he found Summers's wife standing by the horse bearing her husband's body, screaming with despair. Another woman was hurrying her off. Jarrod felt terrible.

He still felt terrible when he walked to the doctor's office to see about his brother and the sheriff. Heath was coming out of the office, his face cleaned and dabbed with lineament where the rock had cut him.

Heath could see his older brother was beginning to swallow all of this, and it was going down hard. "None of this is your fault, Jarrod," Heath said.

"I know," Jarrod said. "Doesn't mean I can't feel dreadful about it – your face and the sheriff's arm included."

Isaac, the sheriff's deputy, came running over. "What's this about? Do you know where the sheriff is?"

Jarrod explained how the sheriff was in the doctor's office, and he told everything else, then said to Heath. "Why don't you go on over to my office? I want to go see my client for a minute."

"I'll pour the scotch," Heath said and headed over there.

Jarrod went into the sheriff's office and found Alan Kyles looking terrified. Everything was happening so fast and he was trapped in a jail cell. The first thing Jarrod did was reassure him. "It's all right. Summers is dead. So is Tanner. I don't think anybody is after you anymore."

Alan fell down on his cot and sat there with his eyes shut, limp as he could be. He finally asked, "What happens now?"

"I don't know," Jarrod said. "A new prosecutor will have to be appointed. That won't happen today. Just sit tight for another day or two, and I'll see what I can do to get you out of all of this."

The young man's hound dog eyes looked up. "I don't know how to thank you, Mr. Barkley. I had my doubts 'cause you didn't get Korby off – "

"I couldn't get Korby off. He ruined himself," Jarrod interrupted.

Alan nodded. " _Couldn't_ get Korby off, but I'm beholden to you. I can't pay you – "

"Did you mean it when you said you'd find honest work and straighten your life out?" Jarrod asked.

"Yes, sir, I did," Alan said, and he seemed sincere.

"Then do that. Keep your word and do that. That'll be payment enough."

Jarrod went back to his office and the promised scotch Heath had poured. They sat down on opposite sides of his desk and just drank quietly for a few minutes before Jarrod looked at Heath and said, "Hell's going to break loose when Mother sees your face."

Heath said, "Hell's gonna break loose all over town when word about this gets around. People with Chinese slaves are gonna start running for cover – and people with Chinese servants who aren't slaves probably are, too."

"Yeah, it's gonna be a mess, that's for sure," Jarrod agreed. "But I think the shooting's over – at least I hope it's over. I'm afraid the Tanner servant is dead, though. I suspect Summers killed him, and took the shot at Alan and me. But we may never know for sure."

"You're gonna get youself involved in resettling the Chinese who are set free, aren't you?"

"Yes," Jarrod said. "You want to be fired now?"

"Yeah, I think so. A face full of rock dust is more than I care to get too often. But that doesn't mean I won't help you with the Chinese. I think the whole family will."

Jarrod smiled. "You know, I think there might be a few people in Stockton who might help. I don't know, maybe I'm a foolish optimist, but I like to think we really are decent people here. I guess time will tell."


	9. Chapter 9

Epilogue

By the next afternoon, Sheriff Madden and his deputies had contacted all the people who had Chinese servants. A lot of them had paperwork to show their hiring was legitimate, but ten let their Chinese servants go right away and starting looking for lawyers of their own. That created an instant problem – where were these freed people going to go?

But Jarrod was right. The reaction of the people of Stockton who were not involved in this in any way was fast and heartening. There was no great love for the Chinese in Stockton, but once word started to spread that these people had been kidnapped from China and enslaved, the good people of Stockton began to organize assistance for them. Slavery was something they simply would not tolerate.

As Chinese people began to be turned loose from their owners, the organization was up and running. There were ten Chinese men, all fairly young and confused, and all taken in by the Catholic Church. Several women – Catholic and otherwise – brought food, bedding and other things these suddenly free men needed to get their bearings.

Jarrod was there, too, as well as his brothers and Victoria and Audra. The Chinese man who ran the local laundry, and who spoke both English and Mandarin, came to translate for Jarrod as he explained to the freed men what had happened to them, what their options were right now, and how he would help them.

Nick had to grin when three of the Chinamen asked if the Barkleys were hiring cowhands. They had been with their owner-employers long enough to see the ranch hands around them. They liked the work they saw and wanted to try it. Nick signed them on.

By the end of the day two days later, half of the freed Chinamen had new jobs. Two of the others wanted to go to San Francisco to find relatives they knew were there. The other three wanted to find a way back to China. Jarrod had Heath spending the end of the day sending wires to San Francisco, to find these men a place to stay there while either their relatives were located or a way home was found for them.

Jarrod arranged to take them personally to San Francisco the next week. He intended to stay there with them until their situations were resolved. In the meantime, they would stay at the church while the local ladies fussed over them.

"It's beautiful to see, isn't it?" Victoria said to her eldest as she watched the freed Chinamen eat, and she smiled. She was watching the people of her community come to the rescue.

"It kind of surprises me," Jarrod said. "I knew there were good people here who would help, but frankly I expected more trouble than we've gotten so far. The families who bought these people – they're going to kick back at some point, and they'll get supporters. And we still don't know what else Col. Ashby left behind that we'll have to deal with."

"Well, that's all still in the future."

"Yes. And hopefully we in the legal community will find a way to ease this all over so that everyone can recover and go on."

"Has anyone been assigned to replace Gerald Summers?"

"Jack Pope, for now."

"And your role?"

"I'm attorney for all these freed Chinamen. Not a one of them is out for revenge or anything at all against the people who bought them. They just want to get on with life."

Victoria looked at the scene in the church again, and at her daughter and other two sons helping out. "Are you keeping your Assistant Lawyer?"

"Per his request, I already fired him."

Victoria chuckled. "I hope he was of some help to you."

"He was plenty of help, but I don't think a law career is for him."

"They still haven't found the Tanners' servant, have they?"

"No, and they won't. Either Tanner or Summers killed him and dumped him somewhere. We'll never know for sure."

"And Alan Kyles?"

"Still in jail. I'm gonna go talk to Jack Pope about him later today."

Suddenly someone new came in the door, carrying food. "Oh, my," Victoria said. "It's Eliza Summers."

Gerald Summers's wife saw Jarrod and Victoria and gave them an awkward smile, but then she jumped right in to help.

Jarrod put his arm around his mother and gave her a squeeze. "I think, with a little time, everything is going to work out, don't you?"

Victoria nodded. "Yes, I do. Thanks largely to you and your assistant lawyer."

"Mother," Jarrod said fondly, "don't ever recommend I hire Heath or Nick or even Audra again, all right?

"It was Heath's idea," Victoria gave as her defense.

"Nevertheless," Jarrod said, "never again, all right?"

Victoria chuckled. "All right. But it was a good idea this time, wasn't it?"

Jarrod had to nod as he looked at his brother. "Yes, actually it was."

THE END


End file.
